1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and a method for sensing and deployment control supervision of a safety device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a system and method that deploys a safety device before a collision with the vehicle occurs.
2. Background Art
Motor vehicles may include one or more safety devices, such as an airbag, that are deployed to protect a vehicle occupant. Presently, frontal air-bag deployment is mainly based on information obtained from solid-state accelerometers, which sense crash conditions after impact.
It is advantageous to create the methods and systems to effectively utilize reliable sensor information for controlled airbag activation. Before Applicants' invention, an improved system and method for controlling deployment of a safety device was needed. In addition, a system and method was needed that could deploy a safety device prior to a collision and intelligently determine whether to continue or abort deployment. In addition, a system and method was needed that could deploy a safety device at multiple rates or in multiple stages to better protect vehicle occupants.